Air conditioning apparatus



March 6,1934,

v G. F. ZELLHOEFER" AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed Jan; 5, 1933' 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. 6L E/V/V F. 2 EL 4 HOEFER Q A TTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 6, 1934 AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Glenn F. Zellhoefer,Bloomington, Ill., assignor to Williams Oil-O-Matic Heating Corporation,Bloomington, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application January 5,1933, Serial No. 650,230

3 Claims. .(01. 257'8) This invention relates to improvements in airconditioning apparatus and more particularly to an apparatus of thischaracter which may be employed for the circulation of warm air duringcold weather and cold air during warm weather.

It is an object of this invention to provide a refrigeration system ofthe absorption type in which the still is operated by steam from aboiler and by circulating the refrigerant in a bath of 3; 3 Water whichis caused to circulate through a radiator coil in the air distributingsystem for cooling the air passing thereover for use in warm weather andupon disconnecting the still andcirculation of cold water through theradiator coil in the air circulating system, the steam from the boilermay be passed through said radiator coil and the condensate from thesaid coil returned to the boiler. It is readily seen that by theinstallation of such a system, the operation of the boiler may be cong-tinuous, if so desired, and by the manipulation of certain valves inthe system, either cool or warm air may be supplied through the aircirculation system of the building.

With these and other objects in mind, reference is made to theaccompanying sheets of drawings which illustrate a preferred embodimentof this invention, with the understanding that minor detail changes maybe made without departing from the scope thereof.

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of an embodiment of this invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detached view partly in section and partly infront elevation of a form of heat exchanger for the cooling liquid.

It is preferable to employ an absorption refrigeration plant of thenon-intermittent type, such as disclosed in this applicants co-pendingapplication Serial No. 651,306, filed January 12, 1933, which includes astill S for distilling the refrigerant oif the solution or strong liquorby the application of heat produced by steam from the boiler B. Thisboiler may be of any type which will produce sufiicient steam for thepurpose specified and may be operated by an oil burner O, as shown, bygas or by coal, as desired.

The steam from the boiler B is conducted by way of pipe 1 and pipes 3and 4 to the still S and preheater within the still, not shown. Thestrong liquor or solution of the refrigerant and solvent, preferablythose disclosed in this applicant's copending application Serial No.651,306, filed January 12, 1933, by means of a motor operated pump P isconducted from the absorbent by way of pipe 5 to the still. The gaseousrefrigerant 5 separated from the solution in the still passes throughthe rectifier F and pipe 6 to a conventional condenser C and into aconventional re-- ceiver D. The refrigerant is then conducted by F pipe'7 through an evaporatorE contained in a water bath W or heat exchangercoil and from the evaporator by pipe 8 to the absorber A The weak orvirgin liquid is conducted from the still by pipe 9 to the absorber.

A motor operated fan blower is mounted in a housing H for circulatingair through the duct 5, A connected with the air circulation system, ofthe building. A conventional radiator coil 10 is mounted between theentrance of the duct A and the fan housing H. The water cooled by theevaporator in the water bath W is cir- 7 culated bythe small pump P,which may be driven by a belt from the shaft of the blower fan as shown,through pipe 11 and'pipe 12 to the radiator 10 and by pipes 13 and-l3returned to the top of the water bath or heat exchanger coil. 4

For compactnesaeficiency and cheapness of construction, it is preferableto use a heat exchange coil, such as shown in Figure 2, consisting of aninner coil E in which the refrigerant is vaporized and an outer coil 11through which the water is circulated and thence circulated through theradiator coil 10 in place of an evaporator coil submerged in a tank ofwater, preferably by connecting the intake side of a motor driven pumpP", see Figure 2, with the Water discharged into the tank W by thereturn pipe 13 from the coil 10 and the discharge sideof the pump P tothe outer coil 11 which in turn is connected by the pipe 11 to theintake of pump P.

When the refrigeration system is in operation, cold water will becirculated through the radiator 10 and the fan blower will force airthrough the radiator to supply cool air to the air circulating system.

Valves 3 and 4 are provided in steam pipe 1 which are adapted to shutoff the steam supply from the boiler to the still, and valve .11 isprovided in pipe 11 as it leaves the bottom of the water bath, valve 12is provided in pipe 12 as it leaves the pump P, and valve 13 betweenpipes 13 and 13 returning from the coil 10 to the top of the water bathwhich valves are adapted to be closed to prevent circulation of waterthrough the radiator coil 10. The steam pipe 1 leading from the boileris connected by pipe 14 to the pipe 12 leading to the radiator 10 and isprovided with a valve 14* as it joins the pipe 12 which valve is adaptedto out oh the steam when the cooled water is circulated through theradiator 10. When this valve 14* is opened and the other valves areclosed, steam will be conducted from the boiler by ways of pipes 1 and14 to the radiator 10 so that when the fan blower is in operation, itwill force air over the heated radiator to supply warm air to the aircirculating system of the building. Connected to the discharge side ofthe pump P is a pipe 15 leading therefrom to the water side of theboiler B and is provided with a valve 15 adapted to be closed whilethe-radiator 10 is cooled and to be opened when it is steam heated and avalve 13, closed when valve 13 is open, is provided in the pipe 13connecting the pipe 11 to this pipe 10, so that when the fan blower isin operation, the pump P will circulate the condensate from the coilthrough the pipe 13 and pipe 11 to the pump and from the pump throughpipe 15 to the water side of the boiler.

The details of the construction of the still S, rectifier-F, andevaporator A are fully disclosed in applicants co-pending applicationSerial-No.

651,306, filed January 12, 1933.

From the above it is readily seen that when valves 14 and 15 are closedand valves 3 4, 11 12 and 13 are opened, and the boiler B in operation,cool air will be furnished the air circulating system and by closingvalves 3, 4 11 12, 13 and 13 and opening valves 14 and I5, warm air willbe supplied to the air circulating system.

Water for the cooling coils in the .absorber A, condenser C, residualheat coil within the still, and rectifier F is supplied by the pipe 16from source of water supply to the absorber coil and from thence by pipe17 to the residual heat coil within the still S, and from thence by pipe18 to the outside coils of the condenser C from which the water passesby pipe 19 through the rectifier F and from thence bythe pipe 20 to thedrain.

What I claim is:

1. An air conditioning apparatus for an air circulating system includingan air conditioning radiator and a motor driven air circulating fan forforcing air to be conditioned through said radiator into the system, asteam boiler, means for connecting and disconnecting steam therefrom toa steam operated absorption refrigeration plant, a refrigerated fluidtank, refrigerating means Within the tank connected to the refrigeratingplant, a circulating pump operated in unison with the circulating fan,means for connecting and disconnecting the pump to the fluid tank forcirculating the refrigerated fluid through the conditioning radiator,and means connecting and disconnecting the pump. to the steam boiler forcirculating the steam through the conditioning radiator, and means forreturning the condensate to this boiler, whereby the boiler, fan andpump operate continuously to provide cold air to the system when thesteam boiler is connected to the refrigeration plant and disconnected tothe pump and hot air to the system when the steam boiler is disconnectedto the refrigeration plant and connected to the pump.

2. The structure set forth in claim 1 in which the connections of thepump to the radiator and fluid tank are provided with valves to controlthe flow of refrigerated fluid steam and condensate through the sameconnections of the P p- 3. In an air circulating system the combinationof a continuously operating boiler, a continuously operating fan and acontinuously operating pump for conditioning the air in said system,with an air conditioning radiator through which the fan forces air intothe system, a refrigerated fluid tank, a steam operated absorptionrefrigeration plant adapted to be connected to the refrigerating elementof the refrigerating plant to refrigerate the fluid in said tank, meansadapted to connect the fluid tank to the pump and radiator to circulatethis refrigerated fluid through the radiator and means adapted to con-

